Immigration MIC

On the Immigration MIC this week we have Alyssa who is an immigration paralegal and aspiring attorney, who actually contacted me about an important story she needed to share.

Alyssa an immigrant herself of Cuban and Tunisian descent, born in Tunisia and arrived in the US at a year old, but she identifies strongest as Cuban from Queens. Though she wasn’t able to be a part of the island because of the strict travel laws, she experienced her culture through music and food.

“I was born an American citizen, away” - Alyssa’s mother came to the US as a political refugee and as a result, Alyssa became an automatic citizen, and growing up, she absorbed Latin culture from all the different people around her.

While in college and majoring in Latin American studies and communications, and through volunteer work, Alyssa’s world began to take shape as she began seeing demographic patters through a national and international lens. Since college, she’s travelled all over; she cites Morocco as the most eye opening experience - she recounts children having their eyes sewn shut to encourage tourists to give more.

During one of her last semesters, Alyssa worked directly with unaccompanied minors who had recently been detained at the border, and how the work as an advocate can be traumatizing - relaying an anecdote as to why they are discouraged from having close content with the children they see. We discuss the disconnect between the work in the legal sector and the actual human face on immigration - which is wide according to her. We talk about the end of Wet Foot, Dry Foot, the reactions of Latinos, and how some Cubans try to be as disconnected as possible from the immigration conversation.

So here’s the story. Alyssa was walking outside one morning, and saw a woman having a seizure. The woman woke up and started freaking out about the ambulance coming. Alyssa asked the hard question: are you undocumented. And the lady said yes, I’m scared they’re going to deport me. “She’s scared in this era of Trump.” Alyssa wanted to do everything possible to help, but by the legal system, she wasn’t able to do anything.

"THE WHOLE THING, THE WHOLE SYSTEM” - when I asked her what it is about the immigration legal world that needs more of a voice. Because of these experiences, Alyssa is one hundred percent committed to becoming a paralegal, to help, to fight for justice, to advocate for people that are suffering because of the nation’s broken immigration system - her goal is to go down to the border and “see the wall that is costing people their lives”.

Traveling, Immigration, and a shared love for the Guatemalan culture, we have it all this week with Joy Valerie of Part Time Exploradora on this week’s episode of Immigration MIC!

Her parents immigration from Guatemala, and growing up in Ozone Park NY, Valerie grew up with a mixed identity - starting with her story of her name. Valerie takes me through her journey growing up in Queens, moving to Sufferen, and eventually going to RIT - all while working to understand her identity growing up as a Guatemalan-American in these different settings.

Having attended engineering school, working with AmeriCorps (where she worked with children who had recently been detained at the border), to her current projects, Valerie is constantly innovating and working to open doors for herself.

Over the past five years, she’s traveled to twenty countries, which she frequently documents through her social media, which is a combination of traveling advice, photography, and social analysis through her own unique lens. She opens up about her sometimes struggle with anxiety and depression, and how her work helps center her (the way she describes it, I find to be personally inspirational.)

On immigration - Valerie has an important story to share. When searching for a new car, she learned cars were for sale in her community because people were making plans to leave because of the fear of the new administration. YES. THIS IS HAPPENING.

Currently pushing back against Senate Bill 4, Damaris is extremely passionate about standing up for her community, knowing that the passage of the bill (which may be signed by the governor any day this week), will have immediate ramifications on the undocumented community, since it calls for local police to act as ICE.

Damaris has first hand experience growing up in the shadows, in fear that her parents might not return the next day. She speaks to me about experiencing discrimination in church because of her family’s status from other Hispanic American kids - the discrimination got so bad that she stopped going.

“I became an adult at 15” - Damaris talks to me about several challenges she’s faced, including not being able to finish her degree because of a family member’s ailment, along with a personal loss that led her to her current activism work: she’s pushing through and surviving with all her might.

She talks about how most of her extended family is more conservative, which poses an additional challenge for her - and how faith plays a big role in her family’s beliefs and her own beliefs - incredibly interesting.

She makes a passionate plea for more Spanish speaking folks and US born citizens from the local community to join the efforts in marching, protesting, and testifying - she’s working on outreach to get more voices involved.

For the first time, (though I think she's a pro), she shares her very personal story of family reunification, takes me through her personal growth at IMI Corona, Queens, and her work in teaching youth through a self-developed art based workshop!

She talks to me about growing up in Jackson Heights, her first time protesting for DAPA, and how her mother disapproved at first, but since has become involved in helping to spread information herself! It's also great to hear how Viviana found her voice though yelling at the top of her lungs at the protests!

Also, we talk about how groups in her community banded together to help during the time rumors of ICE surfaced in the Jackson Heights area, along with community "Know Your Rights" workshops.

Viviana is all about community - the Ecuadorean community, the immigrant community, the youth community, the Jackson Heights community - I'm incredibly lucky to have met such a powerful person that is using her voice to bering about social change!

"Your project touches every hidden soul behind the computer" -- Viviana thank you so, so much for your words - your power represents the heart and soul for all those fighting right now! I look forward to meeting in person and doing some great work together!

A super talented digital media // immigrant rights organizer that has done it all - but is committed to the movement because of his personal connection to immigration.

Yash came to Charlotte, NC at the age of seven with a background in organizing already - his mom was a women’s rights organizer in India that helped influence his social justice thinking.

Through his amazing video and photos he looks to tell authentic narratives in the South - immigration became a natural fit for him - most of his friends were immigrants when he began organizing. We talk about Yash’s abilities to use his personal lens to help create stories that can help move social actions.

He tells stories that blow my mind - like being detained in a room with family members at 7 years old, with no English - a “frustrating and scary experience” - which he thinks about when hearing about people going into deportation proceedings.

He is a co-founder with Juan Carlos of the Dream Organizing Network in North Carolina - in the beginning, using the “Dreamer” narrative to gain access to spaces - but using it to raise awareness of Obama’s 2 million deportations.

A Hillary For America alum - he breaks down his perspective on the election, the video he produced in case the election went to Trump, and the ride back after he had packed up all his stuff in the office on November 4th - all touching, and vivid moments, telling folks "we have your back".

“Resistance” is Yash’s frame from which he’s working from now - he was taking a break preparing for the People’s Climate March on the 29th - the commitment to the American Dream is real.

And listen all the way to the end to learn about how he’s worked with Steph Curry (who’s from Charlotte)!

The culture, the people, the diversity, Karen is born and raised in her neighborhood, and she’s all about it!

Both her parents were middle school sweethearts from Mexico - her father’s goal at 16 was to bring Karen’s mom to the US - a big step from meeting in the marketplace.

Karen talks to me about growing up within other cultures - how it made her question her appearance - and how for a brief time she herself was ashamed of being Latina because of the ”Mexican” jokes that would be thrown around - and how food was a big step in creating relationships.

During her college years, someone close to her was undocumented - which sparked her interest in learning about immigration: it was his family’s inability to travel to Mexico for important occasions.

She has a passion for political science and law, and she’s currently working educate herself on immigration policies and constantly attending “Know Your Rights” events. She’s also working in a volunteer capacity with a local group as part of their amplification team, which she was moved to be a part of after the inauguration and the Women’s March.

We talk about the power of social media and the connections // resources and how it’s beneficial in activism - and to my surprise she told me she plugged my show at a local event!

The election - we talk about her level of engagement and her reaction to the surreal win - she used to watch “The Apprentice”.

We end with talking about our favorite Big Sean music - how the inspiration and positivity is everything we need right now / and helping others find their talents through our mutual work!

On the Immigration MIC, welcome Miriam Enriquez - Director Of City of Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs - and she’s so awesome!

She takes me through her career - from her time in law school, to starting out as a prosecutor, to the DA’s Office - and how immigration always came up as a topic, fueling her passion.

Her parents were from Nicaragua, and Miriam was born in the US during a visit, describing how she is considered to be an ‘anchor baby’ by some - and how she detests the talking point about coming to the US the “right way” as her birth was by a combination of luck and resources - and she believes everyone deserves a shot at the American dream. She also tells an anecdote about being in 4th grade and misspelling a word sounding it out in Spanish - a reminder she kept with her that her journey was “different” than others’.

We delve into the topic of “Notario Fraud” - she describes it as the perfect crime, because it is a way for people to make easy money by preying on their own communities (of all backgrounds), and tells me about how “Edwin’s” - an undocumented Guatemalan’s life was ripped apart - he went to do his taxes, was told he could apply for citizenship: instead he was left $15,000 short and was deported to Guatemala where he could no longer work because of a disability. We also go into “Sanctuary Cities” - their purpose and their limitations - and how confusing the information is, and the various factors that people need to learn about.

Miriam knows the power of storytelling and humanizing - after all, she herself was inspired by seeing a Latina homicide DA - and how her confidence was inspired because of such moments. She sends an important message to all those that need immigration reform - there are a LOT of people fighting with them, and on their behalf - something she was reassured by the airport protests a couple of months ago.

An outstanding athlete, driven by an intensity to succeed both on the wrestling mat and a passion for his community, Carlos represents the heart of the fight of the immigrant rights movement.

Brought to the US from Mexico at 1, his parents looking for better opportunities after experiencing mistreatment working for wealthy families, Carlos grew up in a part of Colorado where he experienced growing up in an anglo community which he credits for being able to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds - yet he says he’s missed out on experiences from his culture. He also credits his friends’ ambition to go to college as having inspired him to always be driven to receive a college education.

A technician on the wrestling mat, we share stories about our experiences - the thrill of finding the moment to dominate an opponent. From there, we talk about the limitations Carlos began experiencing in high school, when the rest of his friends were preparing to go to Mexico for Spring Break and he was unable to join in.

The rhetoric leading up to the election inspired Carlos to be open with people around him that were considering voting for the current president - hear the fascinating story of how he helped shift a few people’s perception by sitting with them and having an honest conversation.

He’s a business major, and is part of the Inspired Dreamers club at University Of Colorado working to create spaces, policies for undocumented students on campus — hear about the growth of the club, and also an important story about why he wasn’t included in a video for the university (the university didn’t want to be used as a political football in the immigration debate … what?)

Fascinating conversation on how a data analysis class he was in predicted the election win in November, how deflated he was once it actually happened, and the nightmare he had about the worst case scenario. He’s looking towards the future now: having Inspired Dreamers become a respected student organization and to create more moments like the former “president supporter” who apologized for being an uneducated voter after interviewing him for a class, and stimulating dialogue beyond “you’re a Mexican/ you’re a racist”.

Welcome Carla and Maxima to Immigration MIC! Co-hosted (yes it happened!) with Maribel Serrano!

Carla and Maxima are founders of their own workout apparel line Ganaz Apparel - opposites, but are brought together by a love for community organizing and fitness, you can def see the love there through the shots they take at each other.

Carla is an artist and an entrepreneur: she grew up in a part of Arizona that was mainly anglo. She credits her school’s resources in helping her develop her design and software talents.

Maxima tells us about growing up in downtown Phoenix pre-gentrification, when it wasn’t safe for her to walk to the corner for food, and how in college it was through MySpace (yes Myspace) someone reached out to her about becoming involved in the fight for the DREAM Act.

We talk about their experiences organizing in Arizona, Maxima tells us a pretty scary story about her life being threatened during an action when activists shut down the Arizona highway protesting Donald Trump, and there is an important discussion about DACA recipients not always being involved in organizing: Maribel and Maxima have different experiences, having each grown up in California and Arizona (definitely worth listening to!), and much more!

Personally, I think their GANAZ apparel line is awesome, and something much needed within the Latinx community to encourage fitness and nutrition education, and I’m very proud of Maxima and Carla in stepping up to work to combine art, our heritage, and fitness. Stay tuned with their work to see what’s next for these amazing activists and entrepreneurs!

Maribel, Maxima and Carla leave us with some pretty important words of hope and inspiration for the road ahead: there is much work to be done, but with the strength and lessons learned from these resilient women, our movement is in "great shape" (see what I did there?)

Fresh off of finishing an educational gathering for local community members on the current political state of Arizona, Reyna and Korina are determined to continue fighting the fight in AZ that has spanned more than 25 years against discriminatory immigration laws!

Reyna shares her experience sharing her story for the 1st time ever at a Republican fundraiser (woah!) - and her path to becoming Executive Director of Aliento, and her focus on leadership development in the AZ community.

Korina talks about her experiences being involved in fighting Joe Arpaio's policies, and the need she felt to become involved in organizing after having been inactive - and the moment she realized she needed to fight back. Her words - "There's no political party, when your life is on the line" - so many chills.

We talk about the SB1070 laws and the connection to former Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy's policies, the underestimation from activists in a possible Trump win, as well as the significance of the Obama deportation raids (Reyna camped outside of the WH for a month.)